Vehicles, including wheeled vehicles, are typically suspended to absorb shock encountered while traversing uneven terrain. Fundamental vehicle suspensions for controlling vehicle body motion and handling characteristics during vehicle travel over uneven surface are well-known in the art. Wheeled vehicles usually include one vehicle suspension assembly per wheel so that each wheel may absorb shock independently. Vehicle suspensions typically comprise many components, including a hydraulic cylinder with an internal piston connected to a central piston rod, which reciprocates within the cylinder to produce damping forces.
Damping forces created by the vehicle suspension have a major influence on the overall dynamic performance of a vehicle. A wide range of dynamic conditions are encountered during typical vehicle motion over various surface and terrain features. For example, these features and conditions include large and small bumps, sharp-edged bumps and round-edged bumps, close-spaced bumps and wide spaced bumps, stutter bumps and gradual undulating bumps, and so forth. Thus, the vehicle suspension undergoes a wide range of tough conditions that puts pressure on the functionality of its internal components. What is needed are vehicle suspension assemblies that better accommodate these performance requirements, as there exists many limitations to the present state of vehicle suspension technology.